Strength in Numbers
by Passionate Cec
Summary: At Jacob's funeral, Sam thinks about how much her team means to her and how much she relies on the three men to stand tall. Threads sequel.
1. Chapter 1

Hey there.

This has probably been done hundreds of time in this fandom but I love Threads so much that I couldn't not pitch in as well and write my own little fic. So this is yet another Threads sequel which I hope you will like. :)

Stargate SG1 and its characters don't belong to me. I make no money with this story. Its sole purpose is entertainment. No copyright infringement intended.

I would love for you to let me know what you thought about this. Reviews make me happy. So pretty plea,e click the little blue link at the bottom of this page. :D

Enjoy. :)

**Strength in Numbers**

Chapter 1

His hand on the small of her back as he led her into the cemetery was barely noticeable. Even she wondered if it was just the wind playing tricks with her uniform or her mind playing tricks with her sanity. It had been nothing but a gentle and delicate brush of his fingers over her back. To give her strength. To remind her of his promise. Always. His voice rang through her head as, over and over again, she heard him say it.

Sam came to a stop and stood strong and straight through the whole ceremony. General O'Neill to her left, Daniel to her right. It didn't sit quite right with Mark, she suspected. He thought she should have had him on one side and Pete on the other. But she didn't care. This was about their father and how they dealt with the pain of his loss. He had his wife and kids to get him through it. His relationship with their father might have been patched up, it wasn't anywhere close to ideal and though she didn't doubt he was in pain, he probably would fare pretty well for a son who had just lost his father.

She, on the other hand, wasn't quite sure about that. She was feeling better than expected – not that she had expected her father to die any time soon – but she still hurt. She had been closer to him than ever before and she truly felt what it was like to lose a father. Her walls were up high and tight and she knew she would manage to hold in the tears. But she did need someone to help her keep the wall up.

And there was none other she wanted by her side than her three boys, Jack, Daniel and Teal'c who was standing on Daniel's other side. They might not really know the relationship she had with her father growing up, but they knew about the one she had recently, the one that mattered the most to her, when he was light-years away but more of a father than ever before. Besides, they knew her better than anyone else. They probably knew her better than she knew herself.

So when the shots were fired and all the Air Force officers saluted it was Daniel's hand on her lower back that felt the most welcome. It was General O'Neill and Teal'c's quiet strength and comfort she needed the most. When the folded flag was set on her forearms, it was their holding her elbows oh-so gently that helped her stay strong. And when they were the only ones left in the cemetery, it was Jack's fingers unexpectedly lacing through hers that made her look up and smile.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey there.

So this fic started out as a two parter but it turns out I had a couple more one shots that could be added to it. It tweaked around a bit with them to make them fit and there are now four chapters. So this is not the last chapter. It's only the second chapter and there are a couple more to come.

Pretty please, let me know what you think. :)

Enjoy. :)

Chapter 2

The wake at the General's house had come and gone. She had shaken the necessary hands, had exchanged the necessary words, smiles and niceties, had received the necessary condolences and attempts at comfort but she had felt numb throughout. She wanted quiet and she wanted to get out of her uniform.

So when the door closed behind her brother's family, the first thing she did was toe of her shoes. She heard General O'Neill come up to her and looked up. When he was standing close enough for his chest to brush her arm, he lifted a hand and settled it between her shoulder blades, rubbing gently and offering comfort in the form of a warm smile.

'Everyone gone?' He asked quietly. She nodded and closed her eyes, sighing. 'Go change, I'll get you a beer.' She looked up at him again and smiled.

'Thank you.' She whispered.

She slipped past him towards one of the spare rooms where her team had left their things. She rummaged through her small duffel bag and changed into much more comfortable clothes before carefully folding the dress blues. She walked back towards the living room and continued to the backyard when she saw the three men sitting there. She sat down on her usual spot and accepted the beer Jack was handing her. She took a sip and rested her head back against the small bench on which the General was sitting.

'You okay, Sam?' Daniel asked quietly. She looked up and breathed in deeply before nodding.

'Yeah. I'm okay.'

Neither of the men argued or tried to get her to talk. She supposed she had looked worn enough for them to know that she acknowledged she wasn't quite fine yet but was getting there. She didn't try to hide her exhaustion or weariness, neither did she try to convince them that nothing was wrong with her. They understood that she would be fine in her own time. It was why she felt so content to have them around, to be alone with the people who knew her best.

'Maybe you should take some time off.' He suggested anyway. She didn't know if it was the fact that he knew she was about to argue or just his realization that they were all tired that made him continue. 'We all should.'

'Daniel's right, Carter. We won. We've all had a rough few months, I think we all deserve the break.' Sam huffed and looked up at him, her head resting against the bench once more.

'Sir, I think you should be saying we've had a rough few years.' He offered a small smile and nodded.

'All the more reason to take some time off. Real time off.' He added, looking pointedly at Sam. She felt a blush tint her cheek at the lighthearted teasing.

'Yes, sir. I plan on actually leaving.' His eyebrows shot up in mock shock.

'You do?' She nodded. 'Good girl.' She glared at him but he either didn't notice or didn't care. He looked at each one of them. 'So, who's up for fishing?' Sam chuckled and he looked down at her. 'Carter?'

'Actually, sir, it sounds like a good idea.' This time, it was real shock that sent his eyebrows dancing at his hairline.

'It does?'

'Yes.' She responded lazily, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips

'Sweet.' Their eyes remained locked on each other for a short while and they both smiled until General O'Neill shook himself out of it and looked at their two friends. 'T? Danny?'

'Do you actually have enough room for all of us?'

'Sure. I've got a room, spare room and a couch. Carter'll get my room, you kids can share the spare room and I'll get the couch.'

'I'm not throwing you out of your room.' Sam argued. Jack turned back to her briefly.

'We've got a long drive ahead of us. We'll argue on the way.'

He looked back up at Teal'c and Daniel and Sam smiled. It felt good to be with her odd and twisted but loving and perfect family. The rest of the evening was quiet and easy going and almost made Sam forget about her father's death and her breaking up her engagement. There was nothing like returning to normal to make her forget everything that bothered her. Granted, having defeated the Goa'uld and going on a fishing trip to the General's cabin wasn't quite normal to their standards but the light teasing and continuous banter was all she needed. Jack's sweater to keep her warm in the slightly chilly evening and his leg brushing her shoulder were just an added bonus.

Her yawn was what prompted them to finally move. Daniel looked at his watch and stared, shocked it was so late. Some arguing later and Teal'c, Daniel and Sam agreed to stay for the night. Jack had declared Sam and Daniel too tired to drive and had argued that he had two perfectly functional spare rooms and a couch. Not that it was any news to them.

Jack sealed the conversation by standing up and turning towards Sam, offering her his hands. She raised an eyebrow before setting her hands in his and letting him pull her up. Before she could lean forward to grab a couple of empty bottle of beers his hands were on her shoulders, he had turned her around so he was standing behind her and he was leading her towards the house, his hands still warm and strong on her shoulders. He mumbled something about cleaning up waiting until morning and her needing sleep. She simply went with it and let him lead her towards the spare room which had become hers a long time ago when team nights started becoming very common and she would often be just a bit too tipsy, tired or lazy to drive home. Since then she had probably slept in the room at least once a month.

He guided her until she was standing in the middle of the room, right next to the bed. He grabbed Teal'c and Daniel's bags, left the room and came back a few instants later, hands free. She watched as he walked up to her until he was standing right in front of her. His hands cupped her neck and he leaned forward to kiss her forehead once. Unconsciously, she leaned into the touch, closed her eyes and sighed. If she had been feeling more like herself, she would have noticed how long the kiss lasted and how his lips remained pressed against her skin much longer than was necessary.

'Get some sleep, Carter.' He gently advised, his hands trailing down her arms and giving her hands a light squeeze. And then he was gone, walking towards the door, obviously intent on leaving her alone for the night.

'Sir?' Sam called just before he reached the door, surprising herself more than him. He turned around expectantly.

'Yeah?'

'Thank you.' She said with a small smile. He smiled back and turned to fully face her, going as far as taking one step towards her.

'For what?'

'Everything.'

'C'mere.' He mumbled, despite being the one to walk up to her and pull her into his arms.

Her head came to rest on his shoulder, face pressed against his neck and her arms circled his waist. She felt one of his arms tight around her shoulders while his free hand came to rest on the back of her head, his fingers gently threading through her hair. His chin was resting against the top of her head and she smiled when he unconsciously started rocking side to side as if he were comforting an upset child.

She didn't know how long they stayed like that but eventually they pulled away and he looked straight into her eyes.

'I told you; always.' She smiled and closed her eyes as he kissed her forehead again. 'Goodnight, Sam.'

'Goodnight.' She whispered back with a smile, watching the door close behind him.


End file.
